Sandy’s has been a favorite topic on this blog since the beginning, although it seems that there are very few people who remember the long-gone hamburger chain that had outlets in Lorain and Elyria during the 1960s and early 70s.
It really wasn’t around that long before it was gobbled up by Hardee’s in 1973.
But there was something about Sandy’s that made it special. Was it Miss Sandy, the winsome Scottish lassie mascot, who often appeared in person at the store openings? Was it the Scottish theme, which gave the restaurant a unique ethnic heritage? Or perhaps it was the name ‘Sandy’s’ itself, which gives one the impression of a single owner and personalized service?
Or was it the food? I remember it tasting pretty much like McDonalds, which makes sense since the chain was started by ex-McDonald executives.
Anyway, I covered the Grand Openings of the Elyria Cleveland Street location (1962) here, and the Lorain Meister Road location (1965) here. So in the interest of being complete, here’s the Grand Opening ad for the South Lorain location. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on June 27, 1968.
As you can see, back then a key ingredient in the fast food business was the emphasis on fun. There were eight Sony transistor radios given away, balloons and even free Miss Sandy glasses. There are a few of these glasses on eBay right now; here’s one of them.
